UTN uW Translation Notes:

1 Samuel 30 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter continues the part of the book that describes how David became king (chapters 16–31). It describes how David and his men discovered that the Amalekites had attacked their town of Ziklag while they were away. The Amalekites had captured their families and animals and burned down all the buildings in the town. David received guidance from Yahweh that he would be able to pursue and defeat the Amalekites and recover the family members and animals. Yahweh made it possible for him to do that and also to capture a great amount of further plunder from the Amalekites.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

How did Yahweh guide David to pursue the Amalekites?

When David wanted to find out whether he should pursue the Amalekites to try to recover the family members and animals they had captured, he asked Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod to him (30:7). This suggests that David wanted Abiathar to use the Urim and Thummim to answer yes-and-no questions that he would ask Yahweh. The author says that David asked Yahweh, “Shall I pursue after this band? Will I overtake it?” He says that Yahweh replied, “Pursue, for overtaking, you will overtake, and delivering, you will deliver.” But this might be a summary of a series of questions and answers. David may have first asked Yahweh, “Shall I pursue after this band?” Abiathar would then have drawn out whichever stone, the Urim or the Thummim, that they had asked Yahweh to use to indicate “yes.” David would then have asked Yahweh, “Will I overtake it?” The answer once again would have been “yes.” Finally, David would have asked, “Will I deliver the captured people and animals?” And Yahweh would have said “yes.” Represent this in your translation in a way that would be clear and natural in your language.